With Matt Schaub coming off a horrendous season with the Houston Texans, second-round pick Derek Carr should be given every opportunity to succeed. However, the Raiders might not be so inclined to toss Carr into the fire.

Coupling that with the fact that in the last two seasons, all six of the quarterbacks drafted in the first or early second round of the NFL draft have gone on to start their team's opener, it's easy to see why Carr could get pushed to the front of the pecking order.

Trotter's report, however, does underscore a theme in Oakland this offseason, mainly that Allen and general manager Reggie McKenzie have insisted on adding veteran leadership in the locker room and on the field. Both men are fighting for their jobs, and it would seem they prefer to go down fighting alongside men with proven NFL ability rather than a field full of fledgling projects.